Time apart reorients our lives to God

July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.

Things My Father Taught Me

Last week my GPS had a meltdown. It was disturbing.

I had driven about an hour south for a wedding shower. The disembodied female voice of my GPS system had directed me to the hall of a clubhouse in a large condominium complex. Getting there had been no problem, in spite of the many twists and turns in this little city. But as I tried to get out of the complex, things became complicated.

From the first turn the directions were wrong. Then, even the slightest movement of the car prompted a flurry of recalculations. And I could swear that as the directions came
faster, her pitch got higher. If the car moved even a few feet, I heard, “recalculating, turn right, go 550 ft then…recalculating, go 200 ft, turn left then….wait, go right, no, turn around, OMG! Back up!” I got the sense this inanimate object was in a panic!

If I had attempted to follow her directions I would have been watching a movie in the living room of a blue bi-level directly opposite me.

At any moment I expected her to break into high pitched frenzied laughter and a frantic version of the “Hokey Pokey.” For a moment I felt
compelled to do the Cher, “Snap out of it!” routine. But slapping a GPS isn’t covered in the warranty. So I decided for a time out; a little break in the drive so my companion could get her bearings. I pulled the car over along side a lake in the middle of the complex and just sat there admiring the landscaping.

After a few moments, the voice of my GPS was quiet. The map stopped spinning in psychedelic colors. I waited for a few moments, then spoke in soothing tones to the small square box on my windshield, “OK now, let’s try this again.”

A little voice in my head whispered, “Just who’s having the meltdown?”

Ok, so it wasn’t just the GPS that needed time to reorient. There are times when even real people need to stop and get their bearings.

Perhaps life seems to be spinning out of control, or we realize we have wandered too far from God. No matter the reason, there are times when we need to withdraw and refocus.

It happened to Jesus, too. But he
didn’t just pull up along side a lake and admire the scenery. He got in a boat and sailed out into the middle of the water to get away from the pressing crowds. This stepping aside from the demands of the day was a common practice for Jesus. But unlike our contemporary practice of daycations, where we buy a large mocha latte and take a breather from work, Jesus withdrew to be alone with God. His frequent times of prayer ensured that he would never lose sight of who he was, and that his mission would not be detoured by human temptations or the misguided advice of those not yet fully aware of God’s hand on their lives.

Jesus also knew that disciples were not formed by words alone.

Everything he did he did also as a template for those who would accept his invitation to, “Follow me.”

Jesus was well aware that we – being the often willful and misdirected children of God – could never walk in his footsteps if he didn’t leave any.

So he left us the map of his life to follow and the assurance that prayer will keep us on the right path.


“I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living. … O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your handmaid.” Psalm 16:9, 15-16.

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Last week my GPS had a meltdown. It was disturbing.

I had driven about an hour south for a wedding shower. The disembodied female voice of my GPS system had directed me to the hall of a clubhouse in a large condominium complex. Getting there had been no problem, in spite of the many twists and turns in this little city. But as I tried to get out of the complex, things became complicated.

From the first turn the directions were wrong. Then, even the slightest movement of the car prompted a flurry of recalculations. And I could swear that as the directions came
faster, her pitch got higher. If the car moved even a few feet, I heard, “recalculating, turn right, go 550 ft then…recalculating, go 200 ft, turn left then….wait, go right, no, turn around, OMG! Back up!” I got the sense this inanimate object was in a panic!

If I had attempted to follow her directions I would have been watching a movie in the living room of a blue bi-level directly opposite me.

At any moment I expected her to break into high pitched frenzied laughter and a frantic version of the “Hokey Pokey.” For a moment I felt
compelled to do the Cher, “Snap out of it!” routine. But slapping a GPS isn’t covered in the warranty. So I decided for a time out; a little break in the drive so my companion could get her bearings. I pulled the car over along side a lake in the middle of the complex and just sat there admiring the landscaping.

After a few moments, the voice of my GPS was quiet. The map stopped spinning in psychedelic colors. I waited for a few moments, then spoke in soothing tones to the small square box on my windshield, “OK now, let’s try this again.”

A little voice in my head whispered, “Just who’s having the meltdown?”

Ok, so it wasn’t just the GPS that needed time to reorient. There are times when even real people need to stop and get their bearings.

Perhaps life seems to be spinning out of control, or we realize we have wandered too far from God. No matter the reason, there are times when we need to withdraw and refocus.

It happened to Jesus, too. But he
didn’t just pull up along side a lake and admire the scenery. He got in a boat and sailed out into the middle of the water to get away from the pressing crowds. This stepping aside from the demands of the day was a common practice for Jesus. But unlike our contemporary practice of daycations, where we buy a large mocha latte and take a breather from work, Jesus withdrew to be alone with God. His frequent times of prayer ensured that he would never lose sight of who he was, and that his mission would not be detoured by human temptations or the misguided advice of those not yet fully aware of God’s hand on their lives.

Jesus also knew that disciples were not formed by words alone.

Everything he did he did also as a template for those who would accept his invitation to, “Follow me.”

Jesus was well aware that we – being the often willful and misdirected children of God – could never walk in his footsteps if he didn’t leave any.

So he left us the map of his life to follow and the assurance that prayer will keep us on the right path.


“I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living. … O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your handmaid.” Psalm 16:9, 15-16.

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